Srating apparatus for internal-combustion engines.



v A. KAZENMAIER & E. BAUER. STARTING APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6,19l4.

Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

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A. KAZENMAIER & E. BAUER.

STARTING APPARATUS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6. 19M.

1,275,940. Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

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TE OFFICE.

AUGUST"KAZENM'AIER"AND 'EUGEN BAUER, OF STUTTGART,L GERMANY,'. ASSIGNORS T0 THE FIRM" OF- 'ROBERTBOSCH, 0F 'STU'ITGART, GERMAN Y:

STARTING APPARATUS FOR 'IN TERN All-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification-oLetters Patent.

Patented Aug, 13,1918.

Applicationfiled: March 6,1914. a SeriatNo. 822;877.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be itknown. that we, -AUGUST- li AZEN mama and EUGEN BAUER, both sub ects of the Em! peror of Germany, and residents of Stuttgart, Germany,- have invented certain -new andusetul Improvements in Starting Appw ratus for Internal-Combustion Engines; and We do herebydecl-are -tl1e fOllOW1I1g;-l O be-a= fulhclear, and exact description-of the-rinvention, suchaswillenable others skilled in.- thezart to 'WlllCllflt apperta'nisto makea-ndi use the same; i

In starting -interna-l combustion; engines from; rest, not only has tl1e-1nert1a1ot the-;

moving parts and their. friction to be zovers come, but. also the compression in the cylin (lei-s, sothat startingumotors 'Which are me.-

chauically connected to the engine forwthis purpose-inustl-iave comparati elylairge power output, and if the-:starting ll10t0l "iSr'Of' the 1 electric type; the batter-yer other source of current supply '-must-be *ofsutiicientcapacity to supply the large demand at starting..-

These demands are someti mes increased during starting by abnormal frictional resist? at rest, and-then,.whensutficient energy of. rotation has been .stored up, to mechanically connect the rotating.- element? to theengine.- to start it. However, in such systems, the source of current supply remains:connected to the electric motoriandthe rotating ele-.

ment remains clutched to the. engine after' the. engine. has beenturnedover, sci-that the starting motor then acts directly on the en-.- gineu' If, inithisflcase, an undue amount of the stored energyis .absorbedbefore the .en-.

gine has established it snormal cycle. of. op the electric motor .dr yes theeng ine directly through the c0nnect1ng.,,pa:rts, and.

erations,

its output may be increased: to an; undesirablelvvalue i1S::l)6fOl8. To avoid this exigency, the motor could be disconnected from thedriving..eleinentas soon as. the driving element is clutched-to the engine, butthe.

series motor usually used for starting pur poses of this kind would thenrace to a dangerous speed,--1fthe source of current supply remained connected .to the motor. .This

could be avoided by also1d1sconnecting the" source/of current supply zit-this time. 1 How-- ever, the variety of operations Which'must.

be'performed .in a necessarily definite-order and. at :the propermoments imposes severe requirements on the operator and at justthe time When.close attention--mustbe paid to other matters. Furthermore, failure in any respect may overload the. system, or, in other Ways, render the system ineffective ordangerous.

In accordance with our invention, the

starting ,motor is of theseries typeand is permanently coupled to a rotatable element which is designed to be-connected with and disconnectedfromdhe engine. After the rotatable element 1s drlvenby the motor-to that speed at which-sufficient kinetic energy is stored up in the rotatingpa-rts to speed-up;-

the.-.engine front-rest untilits normal cycle of-operations--is reliably established, the" motor-1s disconnected automatically front the. source ocurrent supply, or the supply of current thereto is reduced, and'the r0tating element 19 then clutched tot-heengmer The rotatingelement may be clutched to the engine eitherautomatically or by hand,

tor has been-reducectto zero or to a comparati ely small-value, as; the casemay-be.- lVhenthe engine. has attained a predetermined speed of operation,

and isthen ready to be clutched tothe driving shaft for propelling the vehicle or other load. In the case Where therotating elementis automatically clutched to the engine, theoperator is only required to-close a start-- but in 'eithercasethe clutch islocked in an open I positionuntil the current supply to the-mo.-vv

it is disconnectedautomatically-from the. rotatable elementing switch, whereupon the rotatable element is speeded up, the supply of current to the motor is reduced atthe proper time, the rotating element is clutched to the engine and then disconnected therefrom when the engine cycle is reliably established. In the case where the rotating element is clutched to the engine by hand, the proper sequence of operations is compelled, but the subsequent operation of manually clutching 1n the engine is necessitated.

If desired, the motor may also be used as a generator to supply ignition currents for the spark plugs of the engine, and after the engine has been started it may be used also for lighting purposes or for charging a bat tery, in the well known way.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating our invention diagrammatically,

Figure 1 shows the preferred embodiment wherein the entire starting operatlon 15 am tomatic', and requires only that the operator depress the starting switch;

Fig. 2 shows a modification whereln the starting motor andthe clutch between the rotatable element and the engine are compelled by a hand lever to be connected in the proper sequence;v

Fig. 3 shows an arrangement similar to that of Fig. 2, excepting that some of the operations are controlled by springs; and

Figs. i and 5 particularly show specific forms of the automatic switch for reducing the current'supply to the starting motor at the proper moment.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the source of electric current comprising the battery a is electrically connected to the magnet coil 5 of the automatic cutout c, from which the current passes by way of the armature and the field winding of the series electric motor d to the magnet winding 6 of the clutch f when the'contacts m and a of the automatic cutout are engaged. The other end of the magnet winding 6 is connected to the other terminal of the battery through the starting resistance 71, or the short circuiting contacts 8, 9, as the case may be. The starting switch 9 is adapted to be operated by foot pressure and is electrically connected in parallel with the motor circuit, so that the winding 1) can beenergized when the contacts m, a are apart to thereby pull the armaturel up against the pressure of s ring until these contacts are engaged. 'l he starting resistance It for the motor is in the circuit of the motor when the motor is speeding up, but is short circuited by the contacts 8, 9 when the current in the magnet coil 2' increases to such a value'that the at traction of the armature 7 of the relay is suiiicient to overcome the spring 10.

The spring it holds the armature Z depressed when the magnet winding 12 is not energized and thereby holds the movable contact m. away from the stationary contact at. These contacts can be engaged by raising the armature Z by hand, whereby the magnet winding is energized and holds the contacts in engagement so that current is supplied from the battery on to the motor cl.

The contacts 121-, a can also be engaged by depressing the button 0 of the starting switch 9, whereby the spring pressed contact p is brought into engagement with the stationary contact 9 to thereby close a circuit including the magnet winding 6. The start ing switch 9' is constructed in such manner that it produces but a momentary closing at thecontacts p, 9, whereby the subsequent automatic interruption of the motor current, as will be hereinafter described, can not be prevented. When the button 0 is depressed against spring 1*, the plate 8 first acts against a spring pressed ball 2 and the spring a, which pushes the plate 5 outwardly vis stressed untilthe plate 5 presses the ball 25 out of the way and snaps'below it. The

plate 8 then strikes a second ball 6 and momentarily brings the contacts 3), 9 into engagement, whereupon the spring a. is again stressed until the ball 2/ is pushed out of the way. The plate 8 then snaps below this ball and the contact 79 is spring pressed upwardly until it interrupts this shunt path. Thus thevbutton 0 may be held depressed without closing this shunt path longer than is re-- quired to bring the contacts m a into en gagement.

The winding of the starting relay 2' is shunted across the terminals of the motor cl, and serves to short circuit and thereby cut out the starting resistance It aft-er the motor has started to run. As the motor is'speeding up, the voltage across its terminals rises, andthe' current in the winding of relay 2' increases until the attraction of the armature '7 is sufficient to overcome the spring 10. The contacts 8 and 9 are then engaged and the starting resistance 72, thereby short circuited. The motor then receives full voltage and continues to increase its speed.

The clutch member 12 is permanently connected to the motor shaft 00 by means of a feather and groove connection, and is shiftable longitudinally alongthe shaft so as to be moved from a position of disengagement with the cooperative clutch member 5 to a position of driving engagement therewith. The clutch member 41 carries an armature 3 which is acted upon by the electromagnet 2. and is attracted thereby to a position of dis engagement with'the clutch member 5 when the electromagnet is energized by current flowing in the winding 0 to such a degree as to overcome the stress of the opposing spring 1. The spring 1 is fastened at oneend to a flanged ring 3. Ball bearings are inter-- rapidly above this value.

posed between the ring .3 and the crowned surface -t of the clutch member 1). The opposite surface of the clutch member a) is also crowned so as to form .a cone coupling with the cooperative member 5, the latter member being fastened .on an independent shaft car-- rying a gear to \drive the crank shaft to of the internal combustion engine through the intermediacy of an overrunning clutch 11. The arrangement is such that as long as current flows through the winding e, the clutch member 'v is held against the pressure of the spring 1 out of engagement with the cooperative clutch member 5, but as soon as the motor current is interrupted, the spring 1 under stress forces the clutch member 11 into driving engagement with the member 5 and thereby mechanically connects the crank shaft to of the engine to the motor shaft 50.

The operation of the arrangement previously described is as follows: hen the internal combustion engine is to be started from ,rest to establish its normal cycle of operations, the chauffeur or other operator engages the contacts 722, neither by manually pulling up the armature Z or by depressing the button 0 of the starting switch. The starting current then flowing through the starting motor (Z speeds up this motor and when it attains a predetermined speed, say about six hundred revolutions per minute, the starting resistance h is automatically cut out so that the speed of the motor increases At another predetermined speed, for instance three thou sand revolutions (per minute, the value of the starting current becomes so small that the spring disengages the contacts m, n and thereby interrupts the current flow from the battery a to the-starting motor d. .Simultaneously therewith, the winding e of the electromagnet 2 becomes decnergized and the spring 1 closes the coupling o, 5. The energy stored in the rotating element 1);, together with the energy stored in its associated parts, is such that the engine is rapidly brought up .to that speed at which its cycle of operations is reliably established. The engine then further increases in speed under its own power and at a higher value of speed the overrunning clutch 11 automatically disconnects thee-rank shaft to of the engine from the shaft 00 of the starting mo.- tor, whereupon the entire starting system comes to a standstill. If,for any reason, the engine does not start, the entire system comes to rest without the possibility of any.

damage whatsoever, inasmuch as the starting current has been interrupted, even though the starting switch 9 is held depressed. When the engine is to be started.

again, the clutch 22,5 is disengaged as a re sult of the current .passed through the windmg e.

In the modification shown in Fig. 2, the first part of the movement of a hand lever closes the circuit from the source of current supply to the starting motor, but is locked in position from further movement until the starting current decreases to a value at which the circuit is interrupted, whereupon the lever may then be further moved to close the clutch between the rotating element and the internal combustion engine to start the engine from rest. The armature Z of the circuit breaker c carries a movable contact on into and out of en agement with a stationary contact 7'1, and is spring pressed against attraction by the electromagnet by the bow spring 70. The starting lever 13 carries a rail let and can be moved between the positions 0 and 1 shown in broken lines. The rail 1% is connected by the links 16 and 17 to the rod 18 which carries an arm 19 for shifting the clutch member 5 into and out of engagement with the cooperative clutch member a. The clutch member 0 is fastened on the shaft of the starting motor (Z while the clutch member 5 is shiftable along itsshaft by reason of a feather and groove connection therewith. The rail 1 carries a spring lever 20 having a knob 21 on its end, and the rail also carries a lug A guide 23 separate from the rail 1+, is pro vided with inclined outer surfaces. A bent. lever 2 is pivoted to the piece 95 and is pressed by the spring 26 against an abutment on the piece 25. The lever 2% has a projection lying within the path of movement of the armature Z, and also has its end in the line of movement of the stop 2' when the lever 2-1 is held in raised position by the spring 26.

The operation of the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 is as follows: In order to start the engine from rest, the starting lever 13 is moved from its 0 position to shift the rail 1-l toward the right. During this movement the knob 21 slides along the surface 27 of guide 23 and through the intermediacy of the projection 12 raises the armature Z until the contact on is brought into engagement with the contact 01, whereupon the starting current flows from the battery (4 through the winding 2) of the electromagnet c and thence through the, series motor (I back to the battery. At the same time the lever 2% is raised by its spring 26 so that its end projection prevents further longitudinal movement of the projection 22 beyond it. The motor (Z speeds up until the predetermined speed at which the required energy is stored in the rotating parts is reached. The arrangement is such that when this predetermined speed is reached, the starting current has become so small in value that the attraction of the armature Z is overcome by the stress of the spring is. The armature Z is there upon forced down, and in its movement pushes the end of the lever 24 against the stress of spring 26 out of the path of the lug 22. Up to this time, the starting lever 13' was prevented from further movement so that the clutch 'v, 5 was compelled to be open, but after this time the starting lever 13 may be moved to its position I to close the clutch w, 5 and thereby apply the energy stored in the rotating parts on the crank shaft 20 of. the-engine through the intermediacy of the gears 6 and the overrunning clutch 11. During this latter portion of the movement of rail 14, the knob 21 is raised by the inclined surface 28 to such a point that it thereafter snaps under the guide 23 so that when the rail 14 is being moved back to its 0 position the knob 21 does not liftthe armature Z. lVhen the rail 14 has reached its 0 position, the knob 21 snaps into its normal position so as to slide along the surface 27 of the guide 23 when the rail is again moved to the right. The armature Z holds the lever 24 depressed until the armature is'again raised by the knob 21.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the

clutch between the rotatable element and the therewith; The abutment 22'is carried on a rod 29 slidable' longitudinally of the rail 14. The outer end of the rod 29 is provided with an end projection 31 in line with the shaft of-the clutch member 5, and the spring 30, when compressed, tends to move the rod 29 to the right relatively to the rail 14. The tensionspring 32 tends to return the rail 14 and the starting lever 13 to their 0 position when the starting lever 13 is released, and the compression spring 33 tends to separate the clutch members 4) and 5 from driving engagement. 7 I

The operation of the arrangement. shown in Fig. 3 is as follows: To start the engine I from rest, the starting lever is moved from its 0 positionto the position indicated by I, the rail 14 being thereby moved to the right against the stress of spring 32. During this movement of. the rail 14, the armature Z is raised until the contacts m, n engage each other and thereby closethe circuit from the: battery through the winding 6 and the starting motor d. The rod .29 is'mov'ed to the right by the compression spring until the abutment. 22 carried by the rod 29 is prevented from further movement by the traction on the armature Z-andthereby dey presses the'armature and pushes the end of the lever 24 out of the pathof further move:

ment of the stop 22, whereupon the compression spring 30 forces the end 31 ofthe rod against the shaft 'of'the clutch member'iip The clutchis closed in this way against the stress of the compression spring 33, andthe energy of rotation stored in the rotating element is applied through the gears 6 and the overrunning' clutch 11 to the crank shaft 40 to start the engine from rest. W hen the engine is running under its own power, the starting lever 13 is released, andthe clutch members 11 and 5 are disconnected by the stressed spring 33, while the'rail 14, with the rod 29 and also the starting lever 13, are brought to their 0 position by'the stressed spring 32. The remaining features of operation of this modification will'be apparent from the foregoing description of the arrangement-shown in Fig. 2.

I11 Fig. 4, the electrical circuit between the battery a and the series motor (Z is automatically interrupted. by a centrifugal switch when the motor attainsa predetermined speed, at which the energy stored in the rotating element is sufficient to start the engine from rest. The switch 35 carrying the spring pulled blade contacts 41 cooperative with the contacts 36, 37, is attached to a tension spring 38 tending to engage" the co operative contacts,- and the switch is also provided with a'ho-using 39 in which the sliding arm 40 of the centrifugal switch moves freely in such manner that it does not separate the cooperative circuit contacts until the series motor cl attains apredetermined speed. The construction and operation of the clutch mechanism f between the rotatable element and the engine is arranged andv connected as in Fig. 1, so that when the starting current is interrupted at the cooperative circuit contacts the coupling is automatically closed to start the engine from rest.' In order to utilizethe gradual movement of the longitudinal moving element of the centrifugal switch as the speed of the motorshaft gradually increases, the blade contacts 41 are spring'seated. The starting lever 42 is held by the tension spring 43 in the posi-tion'in which it holds the circuit contacts out of engagement, butby moving the starting lever into the'dotted position,- the spring 38 pulls the switch 35 into its operative position and the circuit is closed to start the motor 655. The hand lever is held in this starting position until after the time that the circuit is interrupted as a result of the movement produced by the centrifugal switch. lVhen the starting lever is released, it is retracted into its normal position by the spring 43 against the stress of spring 88.

Fig. 5 shows a modification in which the automatic. circuit breaker or cutout is provided with two windings Z) and a l in electrical parallel with each other. A starting switch g, like that of Fig. 1, is connected in the circuit of the winding 44 and serves for bringing the contacts m, a into engagement, While the winding Z) is in series with the motor (Z through these contacts and serves to hold the armature Z in its raised position until the current therein falls to a predetermined low value, In this modification the winding 6 of the electromagnet operative upon the clutch mechanism 7 is not connected in the main circuit to the motor (Z, but is shunted there around. If desired, a high resistance 55 can be connected across the contacts m, n, so that the starting current is not interrupted when the circuit breaker opens, but is reduced to a small value sufficient to prevent overloading the battery or the motor. The resistance 55 is so proportioned that the current passing through the system when the contacts m and n are out of engagement is not sufficient to permit the clutch member 4) to be moved from engage ment with the clutch member 5.

The specific embodiments shown in Figs. 2 and 3 herein form the subject matter of our divisional application Serial No. 7 6,205, filed February a, 1916.

Having thus described our invention, What we claim is:

1. In apparatus for starting internal combustion engines from rest, a source of electric current, a rotatable element designed to be connected with and disconnected from the engine, an electric starting motor for driv ing the rotatable element, an electromagnetically operated clutch which, when energized, holds the rotatable element out of connection with the engine, and which, when the motor reaches a speed appropriate for starting the engine, connects the rotatable element with the engine, and an electromagnetic switch having contacts in the circuit of the motor and the electromagnetically operated clutch and having an energizing winding calibrated to open said contacts when the current to the motor reaches a predetermined low value corresponding to the speed appropriate for starting the engine.

2. In apparatus for starting internal combustion engines from rest, a source of elec tric current, a rotatable element designed to be connected with and discomiected from the engine, an electric starting motor for driving the rotatable element, an electromagnetically operated clutch which, when energized, holds the rotatable element out of connection with the engine and which, when the motor reaches a speed appropriate for starting the engine, connects the rotatable element with the engine, an electromagnetic switch having contacts in the circuit of the motor and the electromagnetically operated clutch and having an energizing winding calibrated to open said contacts when the current to the motor reaches a predetermined low value corresponding to the speed appropriate for starting the engine, and manually-operative means for initially connecting the energizing winding of the electromagnetic switch to the source of current to close said contacts.

3. In apparatus for starting internal combustion engines from rest, a source of electric current, a rotatable element designed to be connected with and disconnected from the engine, an electric starting motor for driving the rotatable element, automatic means for suddenly decreasing the current from the source to the motor when the rotatable element has attained a predetermined speed, means for connecting the rotating element to the engine when such decrease of current has occurred, and automatic means for disconnecting the rotating element and the engine, substantially as described.

l. In apparatus for starting internal combustion engines from rest, a source of electric current, a rotatable element designed to be connected with and disconnected from the engine, an electric starting motor for preliminarily driving the rotatable element, a circuit breaker having an energizing winding and contacts in the circuit of the motor, a manually operated switch and connections arranged to momentarily energize the winding of the circuit breaker to engage said contacts in order to complete the circuit of the motor, and means for connecting the rotating element to the engine to start it, substantially as described.

5. In apparatus for starting internal combustion engines from rest, a source of electric current, an electric starting motor, means for connecting the motor to the engine to start it, and a circuit breaker having an energizing winding and cont-acts connected in the electrical circuit of the motor armature and having manually-operated means for engaging said contacts to complete the circuit to the motor and to energize said winding, the energizing winding being calibrated to release the circuit breaker and thereby open the circuit to the motor armature when the motor attains a predetermined speed appropriate for starting the engine, substantially as described.

6. In apparatus for starting internal combustion engines from rest, a source of electrical current, an electric starting motor, thereafter permit the separation of said conmeans for connecting the motor to the engine tacts, substantially as described. 1

to start it, electrically controlled contacts in In testimony whereof We aflix our signathe circuit of the motor, and a starting tures, in presence of two Witnesses.

5 switch for efiecting the engagement of said AUGUST'KAZENMAIER" contacts to close the circuit to the motor said starting switch comprising tWo coritacts EUGEN BAUER spring-pressed apart and a contact closing Witnesses: 7

member adapted to first engage the con- PAUL WoLFAR'r,

10 tacts and inthe same stroke to immediately HERMANN SCHNEIDER.

0091:! 0! this patent my be obtllned for five cents each, by addressing the 0omm1sdener of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 7 

